Belvedere Road, South Bank, London
Sun 13 Sept · 19:30 · £24
The award-winning screenwriter takes an urgent look at what AI means for the future of storytelling, and shows why we all have to care more about copyright. Former Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Liz Kendall recently stated that the choice we have today isn’t between having AI or not, but between ‘shaping AI according to our interests and values … or being left at its mercy and whim.’ So where does that leave us and what does it mean for storytelling and creativity? Join acclaimed screenwriter (Adolescence, His Dark Materials) and Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) union president Jack Thorne for a talk weeding out some of the thorniest issues at the heart of our current creative crossroads. He tackles the burning questions facing creativity today: How is AI-generated content (or ‘slop’) changing our ideas of authorship? Can AI ever be an ethical choice for a writer? Thorne also addresses a crisis of the creative industries: copyright. This one’s not just for lawyers, come and hear Thorne explain why it’s something we should all be paying more attention to. Could copyright be key to encouraging continued creative expression in the age of AI? Flipping the debate from a focus on protecting the assets of those at the top, Thorne considers how copyright might protect the industry’s entry points for the future – encouraging people to create and tell stories even as AI evolves. With the cultural industries becoming ever more crucial to the UK’s economy, Thorne argues for an urgent look at where we go next, and what we need from the government and the industry to get there. Thorne is in conversation with Baroness Beeban Kidron, a leading global voice on digital regulation and an expert consultant on AI. Jack Thorne is a multi-award-winning British screenwriter and playwright, and the President of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain. His most recent credits include Adolescence, co-written with Stephen Graham; Toxic Town; and the first television adaptation of Lord of the Flies. Other credits include National Treasure and This is England ’86, ’88 and ’90, co-written with Shane Meadows. His work for the stage includes Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Presented in association with the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain. Creative Intelligence is commissioned and produced by the Southbank Centre. Curated with PACT – Planetary Art Culture Technology.